Design and optimization of an optical refractometer for remote measurements via fiber-optic cables

S. Khotiaintsev; C. E. García-Guerra; J. E. Morales-Farah; S. Perez-Garcia; L. E. Yam-Ontiveros

doi:10.1117/12.886083

17 May 2011 Design and optimization of an optical refractometer for remote measurements via fiber-optic cables

S. Khotiaintsev, C. E. García-Guerra, J. E. Morales-Farah, S. Perez-Garcia, L. E. Yam-Ontiveros

Proceedings Volume 7753, 21st International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors; 77535U (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.886083
Event: 21st International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors (OFS21), 2011, Ottawa, Canada

Abstract

This paper presents a fiber-optic refractometer which can operate via long fiber-optic cables. We address the relationship between the span and the linearity of the small micro-optical evanescent-field transducer with spherical working surface used in the sensor, under different parameter combinations. We designed the transducer for the range of 1.333<n<1.358, which is of main practical interest in measurements of water salinity. Another version of virtually the same transducer was designed for the range of 1.333<n<1.380, which corresponds to concentrations of sodium chloride in water from zero to saturation. We also addressed the effect of the unstable optical source and loss in the connecting fiber-optic cables, on the readings of the refractometer. We significantly reduced these negative effects by implementing the refractometer in an optical bridge configuration followed by an analogue optoelectronic signal processing unit. This made the refractometer almost insensitive to the parasitic variation of optical source and loss in the fiber-optic cables which connects the optical probe with the optoelectronic unit. Due to these measures, this refractometer can successfully operate via long fiber-optic cables. It can have applications such as in the food industry, where salt-brine solutions of various concentrations are widely used.

Citation Download Citation

S. Khotiaintsev, C. E. García-Guerra, J. E. Morales-Farah, S. Perez-Garcia, and L. E. Yam-Ontiveros "Design and optimization of an optical refractometer for remote measurements via fiber-optic cables", Proc. SPIE 7753, 21st International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors, 77535U (17 May 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.886083

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